jacobsen



Nov; 4, 1930.

J. N. JAcoBsEN SANITARY VALVE Filed April 29, 1927 Patented Nov. 4 1930 vv.nains N.

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`This invention relates to valvesiand particularl'y to valves provided with `ineansfor `introducing lcleaning o r sterilizing fluids 'there'in'toI A i l' Y During the pasteurizatio'n of 'milk and the f treatment of other liquid food lprof'iuctsf,the

' liquid is contained in tanks durlng'the treatment'fand then conducted through ,suitable conduits or pipes to storage tanks', The pipe l, lines are 'usually provided withrvalves, ,andv in the pasteurizing kapparatus a valve. is 'some` *times directly connected to the pasteurizingk tank.:I During the process the valves are, of' course', -closed and' after the process has been 1.5'v com leted the valves arefopened andthe pas#l U `teurizingftankis drained; After draining lthe valves are usually again closed-and the tank immediately lled with raw milk. "ItQ hasy been'found that some of the ,raw rmilk lsometimes leaks fromtthe pasteurizingtank to the. chamber'of the valve attached thereto,andthat if it is not removed itwi1lcon taminate the milk which passestherethrough after the completion ofthe next asteurlzyl ing process. Accordingly, it `has een pro-A posed tok use valves whichfare provided with drainage ports communicating with the chamber and which are automaticallyo ened 'to the airfwhen the valves are close In this manner provision is made for removing the leakage from the chamber. The mere draining .of the chamber, however, Vdoesnct eliminate all sources of contamination or remover allof the'milk, as some of the raw ymilk and'some of the previouslyl pasteurized milk remains asa coatin on the walls of thelvalve chamber, and, i permitted to remain there, may become contaminated from the air which enters through the drainage 40 port.` lInforder to sterilize the walls of the valve chamber, it is proposed to introduce live steam into the chamber automatically'when the inlet and outlet ports are closed and the drainage port lis opened. It has been found,

the chambers/immediately the milk may @be cooked `on the yWalls'of the chamber to form a film of Lsolidk substances, and, "tof-avoid this if and. yet permit the-u`se1offlive steam/for y. Sterillzlng the chamber, aiiushing luid,=such r asA warm water, is introducedfinto the chamber to removethe milk before the'steamiis introduced. v fr y) ,v *tijd .Y An object offthisvinvention is toi provide a valve: whichis automatically cleanedwhen .u closed. Another ob'ect Iisy to provide a `valve wh1ch-1`s automatica ysterilizedwhenL closed. Y A nQther object islto provide1,in combinationr wlth anYalvef, means for; automatically fsuc' cessively introducing. a',y cleaning 'or-ilushing iluld Aanda sterilizlng iiuidinto the `:valve chamber when the valve is closed. Another ob]ect 1s to provide anim rovedvalve Vstruc- ,tu`re;..fOtherobjects' willf- 9 in part obviousl o1"` 1n part pointed out hereinafter;

The, invention accordingly consists in lthe c features of construction, combinations cfele-v.y kInentsand arrangements ofxparts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter descrlbed, and the scope of theapplication of which will be `Iindicated in thek following p clalms.v ,i g In theVv accompanying drawings in which 9 1s shown one ,of the various possibleembodi'- ments of this invention, i

-Figurelis a vertical section taken sub# stantially through the center ofthe valve showingthe valve `,open for the passageof liquid therethrough.; 4 y

Figure 2 is a fragmentary view taken substantialy online 22of Figure' 1; y-

Figure?) is a view similar to Figure 2, bu showing the valve L plugk rotated through ninety degrees; and y y f y t Figure 4 is a` fra entaryfview of the valve casing showing the drainage port and thethreaded openingk for receiving an end of f the flushing and-sterilizing fluidconduit.` y

Similar reference characters refer to simio r lar partsgthroughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, there is shown a valve comprising a casing and a valve plug 12. The valve plug is substantially frusto-conical in general outline and it is mounted within the casing for rotation about a vertical axis when the valve is in use.

The casing is preferably provided with two oppositely disposed inletl openings or ports 13,.an outlet opening or port 14, and a drainage opening or port spaced ninety degrees' from the inlet and outlet openings. A projection or lug 16 is formed on the outer surface of the casing above the drainage opening 15 and is provided with an upwardly directed threaded openin 17 which extends com# pletely through tie casing wall. The open ing 17 receives a threaded end portion of a conduit 18, the structure and function of `which will be described later.

` kThe inner wall of ythe'casing above the outlet and drainage openings is provided with an annular recess 20.` A groove or recess 21 connects the recess 20-and the opening 17.

The valve plug is provided with a central longitudinally extending recess 22 which forms the chamber in the assembled valve.Y Inlet openings or ports 23 and an outlet opening 24 communicate with theorecess 24 and When-the valve is open register with the inlet and outlet openings in thecasing andfor'm, with the recess 22, a passage' for the hquld. When the valve 'plug is rotated through ninety degrees, the inlet'opening-s 23 are,

closed by portionsof the casing wall, the inlet openings 13 are closed by portionsof theI valve plug, the outlet opening 14 is closed by aportion of the valve plug, and the outlet ,opening 24 communicates with the openings 15 and 17. Thus, when the valve is closed to y Vthe passage of liquidV therethrough, the

chamber is open to permit any liquid contained therein to flow out and to permit flushing and sterilizing fluids to be introduced thereinto.

y, The valve plug is provided with grooves25 extending longitudinally thereof from points adjacent the` inlet openings to the annular recess 20. Any fluid which enters between the valve plug and the casing is received by the grooves 25 and conducted to the recess 20 from where it is conducted by the groove 21 to a point adjacent the opening 1.7. The open` end `ot' the recess 22 is normally closed by a tight-fitting removable plug 26 which carries a centrally disposed rounded projection fed lsuitablel number of turns ing thtJ valve plug in position in the casing. Locking means for holding the lever 30 in engagement with the projection 27 comprise a flat-headed screw member 32which is yieldingly supported on the casing and carries aA wing nut 33. The member 32 is adapted to enter an open end slot in the free end of the lever 30, and the wing nut 33 is adapted -to engage the under surface of the said lever.

Means for supporting the member 32 comprise a projection 34 which may be formed integrally with the casing, an externally threaded recessed member 35 which is pivotally attached to the projection 34, and a collar 36 which is removably mounted on the member 35. The head portion of the screw 32 is positioned within the recess in the member 35 and a helical s ring 37 is mounted between the head of tiie member 32 and the collar 36.

Anoperating leverl 40 for rotating the valve plug has a looped or annular portion rigidly mounted within a recess in an end portion ofthe valve plug. `The valve casing is provided with a recess 41 in which'a screw member 42 carried by the valve plug is adapted to travel during the rotation of the valve plug. The member 42 is adapted to engage the end walls of the recess 41 and limit the movement of the valve plug.

In'v Figure 1 the assembled valve is shown attached to the bottom wall of a tank 43. Locking collars 44 and 45 which are thread' on the valve casing enga e the inner and outer `surfaces ofthe flange rim portion of an opening in the bottom wall h old vthe assembled valve securely in posit1on. l. The valve illustrated is designed for use in a vertical position as shown. The outlet and drainage openings are so located that any liquid which enters the chamber may readily iiow out. Y The conduit 18is provided with a coil 46 which serves as a steam condensing coil and a trap for the condensate. Any suitable trap may be substituted for the coil 46, or any may be used in the coil. The coil or trap should be of such a size and so positioned that, during t-he time the conduit is closed to the passage of steam therethrough, sufficient water will be collected to thoroughly iiush the valve chamber.

When the valve is open fory the passage of liquid therethrough the conduit 18 is closed by the valve plug. low the conduit 18 and coil 46 to remain continuously in communication with a source ofv steam supply and to regulate the flow .of steam therethrough by means of the valve plug. When t-he valve plug is rotated to such a position that the outlet opening 24 communicates with the drainage opening l5 and the opening 17, the conduit 18y is automatically brought into communicationwth the valve Thus, it is possible to al- 'ItA of the tank and 1 chamber. The condensate contained inthe trap or coil 46 will be forced upwardly'into -1 the chamber ahead of the steam and will serve to flush or Wash the milk from the Walls thereof, and prevent its being cooked on the.- walls by the steam which follows immediate- Q yly.` The condensate flows from the chamthe grooves or recesses` 20, 21 and 25 and the,i pressure may be sutiicientto prevent leakage f ber through the drainage opening, carrying the milk solids and the steam continues to enter the chamber during the time the valve is closed. s i

`VWien the valve is open, steam may enter between the valve plug and the casing through from' the tank. The steam `will also condense in the grooves between the valve plug and the casing, forming deposits of water therein, which, when the valve is subsequently closed, will serve to dilute any milk which passes downwardly between the valve plug and casing sufficiently that it may readily flow to the groove 21. The quantity of milk which leaks downwardly between the valve plug and the casing is normally relativelysmall and the amount of Water contained in the z grooves is sufficient to dilute it to such an 'y extent that it cannot form a cake on the sur- 1 faces and that the live steam with which it comes in contact at theflower end of the groove 21 will not cause the solids contained From the foregoing it will be seen that there is herein provided a structure which embodies the features of this invention. andV achieves ,the objects thereof. ,A sanitary 'valve structure is provided which Vis thoroughly eiiicient and dependable inl operation, which is automatically cleaned and sterilized during the normal operation thereof, and by means of which danger of contamination of liquid food products during treatment is subi l stantially eliminated.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention, and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in alimitingrvr sense.

I claim as m invention: y

1. The combination with a valve provided with a chamber having inlet and outlet ports and an auxiliary port, of a fluid conduit pro vided with a trap adapted to communicate with said auxiliary port, and means for closving'said inlet and outlet ports, opening said auxiliary port, and causing said Huid conduit to communicate with said chamber.

2. A valve comprising acasing provided with inlet and outlet openings and an auxiliary drainage opening, a valve plug having*v openings adapted to register with theopenings in said casing mounted within said castherein to be deposited within the chamber. Y

. edgto,y register with the'openings in said casing rotatably mounted withinV saidoasing, anda steainconduit provided with-a trap mounted; ontsaid casing and adapted tocomvmiiniate. with y'an vopening in said valve plug.

f 4.. i A ,c valve f comprising" f a casing vprovided Awith inlet and outlet openings andan kauxiliaryjfdrainage opening, la hollow valve plug having openings adapted to registerwithA the openingsin said casingmounted within said casing, and a steam conduit mounted on said casing and communicating with the interiory of said casing; said plug being movable from a position in which the openings therein registerwith the inlet and outlet openings in the casing to a position in which thel inlet and outlet openings are `closed and one of the openings in said plug registers` with the drainage opening in said casing land com'- municates with the steam conduit.

5.Avalve comprising a casing provided with inlet and outlet openings and an aux-pk illiary drainage opening, a hollow `valve plug openingsin said casing mounted for rotation about a vertical axis within said casing, and a steam conduit mounted on said `casing and communicating.withtheyinterior of said casing; said valve plug vbeing rotatable y havingopenings adaptedl to register withthe from a position inwhichthe openings therein register with the inlet and outlet openings in the casing to a position in which one of the openings in said valve plug kregisters with the drainage opening in said casing and comev municat-esv with the steam conduit.

6. A valve provided with a chamberhaving inlet and outletkports and an auxiliary port, means closing said auxiliary port when said inlet and outlet ports are open and movable'to close said inlet and outlet ports and open said auxiliary port,and a iuid conduit provided with a trap mounted on said valve and adapted to communicate with the valve chamber when said auxiliary port is open.

7. The combination with 4a yvalve casing having an inlet port, an outlet port, an auxiliary inlet port and an auxiliary outlet port,

'of a valve plug movably mounted within said casing, said plug having a passageway arranged to establish communication between VLio 1 said inlet and outlet ports when said plug is in one position and lto communicate with said auxiliary inlet and'outlet ports when said lug isy moved to a second position, and means or introducing a sterilizing fluid into said passageway through saidauxiliary inlet port when said plu is in said second position.

8..The1 com ination with a valve casing having .an inlet port, an outlet port, an auxiliary inlet ort and an auxiliaryvoutlet port, of a Valve plug movably mounted within said casing, said plug having a passageway ar- ,-A ranged to communicate with said inlet and outlet ports and tobe out of communication y with said auxiliary ports when said plug is in one position, and to be out of commumcation with `said inlet and outlet ports but tok lo communicate with jsaid auxiliary inlet and g outlet ports when said plug is moved to a sec- A0nd position, and means forintroducing a sterilizing fluid into said passageway through said auxiliary inlet port when said plug is in 15 said. second position. v

JENs N. JAooBsEN. 

